Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-05-28
A NAVAL SLUNG-SHOT.
Dynamite at the End of n Rope to Il
Used In Blowing Up Navies.

tscu IN w Up NaNles'
American inventive genius has pro-
duced some startling results, but it
never took a more daring flight than
that of adopting the slung-shot at
naval warfare. A plan for attack on
the high seas is really in existence, the
model being on exhibition in the rooms
of the Naval Committee of the House,
aud is seriously approved by many
able officers here, which, is practically
the sinking of an iron-clad with Il dyn-
amite slung-shot, 1t is essentially an
American idea, a death graphic at
close quarters, with no spectacular eff
fccts, no comct-like shells or torpedo
water-spouts. 1t is the latest modiica-
ton of General Berdan's system,
The recent experiments in Europe,
where it took 900 pounds of dynamite
to shattcr a twenty-inch armor-platc
when exploded two feet beneath
the waters surface, and the fail
ure of n Whitehead torpedo to
disable Il gun-boat when dashed
to its side and exploded, have
shaken the faith Of the officers in the
efficiency of torpcdocs when exploded
near the water line. More than that,
the nets now used seem to offer an i'm
penctrable bar to the surface torpedo,
as shown by their failure in the great
trial at Bantry bay two years ago, A
few days ago the department received
from Whitehead n refusal to compete
in a prospective trial here, saying; II
do not pretend to conquer the nets"
General Berdan'S idea is to strike at
the bottom of the ship where there is
no armor and where the explosive is
confined by the pressure of the water.
He builds a light, unarmored cruiser OF
$50 feet length and sixteen feet draft.
Men and machinery are all below the
water line, and the cncmy's ironclad
may blaze away all she wants to as the
swift cruiser creeps up on her. Point
ing over the side of the Bcrdan cruiser,
am%idships and to the rear, are a Num-
Der of breech-loading guns that can be
inclined at any angle from the hori.
zontal to perpendicularly downward,
In the guns are placed shells contain
ing three II four hundred pounds of
gun cotton, A wire cable, or ''snub-
bling cord" extends from the shell out
of the mouth of the gun and along the
side of the cruiser to the bows, where
it is so fastened as to swing freely.
The cruiser stcams rapidly up to the
big ironclad, preferably in the night,
but even in broad daylight, regardless
of an occasional shot that may tear
through her upper works. She pushes
through the nets, and when the twenty
iive-foot spar projecting from her bows
touches the ironclad the engine is auto
matically reversed and some rocket ma.
terial in the back of the dynamite shell
ignited. The she'll drops from the
muzzle of the gun, which is pointed
downward. and plows down through
the water on the circumference of Q
circle whose radius is the length of it,
snubbing-cord and whose center is tho
bow of the cruiser. When actual con,
tact between the cruiser and iron-clat
occur the shock is relieved by an at
mosphcric buffer. The shell comes III
on the bottom Of the iron-clad like ;
slungShot Con the head of a belatct
way-farer, and something is apt to b.
smashed.
As there are a number of these gun.
and shells on each cruiser they may b.
fired at different angles from the per
pendicular, and will strik at dilIeIen
points along the bottom of the iron
clad. Thit is regarded as an importan
point, as with the cellular ships nov
built it is doubtful if one torpedo, how
ever powerful, can sink a big iron-clad
If the iron-clad sends out torpedo boat
against the cruiser, they will be me
by improved Fish torpedoes opcratc'
from the latter. The cruisers woul,
cost about 500, 900 apiece. and if the
fulfill the expectations of the officer
and inventor they would seem to solv
the problem of the "chcap defense G
nations."- Washington Cor. Chicag
Herald,